Find the correct Ground, Tower and Departure ATC frequencies, when to switch, and how to fix wrong-radio or no-response problems.
No single ATC frequency covers ground, tower or departure. Use the frequency published for that airport and runway, then change when instructed or required by procedure: Ground for taxi, Tower for runway operations, and Departure for radar service after take-off. At uncontrolled aerodromes, one or more services may not exist.
In Aviation & Real-World Flying, the service name identifies a controller’s job, not a universal part of the radio band. Frequencies vary with the aerodrome, runway, sector, traffic level and operating hours; several positions may also be combined.
Ground, Tower and Departure frequency sequence
The normal sequence is Ground, then Tower, then Departure, but only the services provided at that aerodrome will be used.
| ATC service | What it handles | Where the frequency comes from | When to change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground | Taxiways and controlled movement areas away from the active runway. Apron or ramp control may be separate. | Airport data, the simulator’s ATC interface or a controller instruction | Before taxi, after obtaining clearance where required |
| Tower | Runway entry, take-off, landing and immediate aerodrome traffic | Airport data or a hand-off from Ground | At the published reporting point or when Ground instructs you |
| Departure | Radar identification, climb instructions, vectors and initial routing after take-off | IFR clearance, departure procedure or Tower hand-off | After take-off when instructed or when the published procedure requires it |
Before the first call, listen to ATIS where available. It gives the runway, weather, altimeter setting and information code, but it is not a substitute for a Ground or Tower frequency. Our guide to copying and using ATIS information explains what to record before transmitting.
How do I find the correct ATC frequency?
Use operational information for the specific airport rather than guessing from a typical frequency range.
- Check the airport data. Use a current airport chart or the simulator’s airport-information display. Large aerodromes may list Ground East, Ground West or several Tower frequencies.
- Match the frequency to your location. Sector notes may assign a frequency by terminal, taxiway, runway or departure direction.
- Follow the clearance and hand-offs. An assigned frequency takes precedence over a general listing. If told
contact Departure 124.500, enter that exact value and read it back if local procedure requires a readback. - Use the correct simulator source. Built-in ATC normally follows the simulator’s own communications database. A real-world chart may not work if the simulator or scenery uses different data.
For the wider radio sequence from clearance delivery through taxi-in, see our explanation of how simulator ATC changes during each flight phase. When flying with human controllers, the active controller listing and spoken hand-off are decisive; our VATSIM frequency and initial-call guidance covers that workflow.
When should I switch from Tower to Departure?
Switch after take-off only when Tower instructs you or the applicable departure procedure calls for an automatic change.
For IFR, the Departure frequency is often included in the clearance so it can be placed in the standby radio before take-off. That does not automatically mean you should leave Tower early. Remain with Tower until handed over unless the published procedure says otherwise.
A VFR aircraft may never contact Departure. You normally use it only when assigned radar service, flight following or a controlled departure clearance. At quiet airports, Tower may provide the initial departure service and tell you to remain on the same frequency.
After landing, the sequence reverses: stay with Tower until clear of the runway and change to Ground when instructed. Changing early can make you miss a runway-exit instruction.
Which frequency should I choose when several are listed?
Choose the frequency assigned to your parking area, runway or departure sector, not the one whose number looks most familiar.
Departure may be shown as APP/DEP or even Approach because the same radar unit handles arriving and departing aircraft. Frequencies can also be combined outside busy periods, in which case a controller may say remain this frequency.
If airport data hypothetically lists Ground on 121.700, Tower on 118.300 and Departure on 124.500, those numbers apply only to that airport and operation. Enter every published digit. In regions using 8.33 kHz channel spacing, rounding the last digits can select the wrong channel. Never use 121.500 as a general calling frequency; it is the international emergency frequency.
Why am I getting no response on the ATC frequency?
No response usually means the wrong radio, channel, service or data source is being used.
- Confirm the frequency is in the active window rather than standby.
- Check that the correct COM radio is selected for transmission and that its receive audio is enabled.
- Verify every digit and make sure the simulator supports the required channel spacing.
- Make sure you have not contacted Departure before Tower’s hand-off.
- Check whether the controller is operating, online or combined with another position.
- Consider VHF range and terrain; aviation radio is largely line-of-sight.
Do all airports have Ground, Tower and Departure?
No. A small uncontrolled aerodrome may have none of them, while another may have Tower but no separate Ground or Departure position.
Use the published traffic, advisory or information frequency and the procedure appropriate to that country. Do not invent a frequency because the expected service is absent. In real-world flying, failure to establish contact is never permission to enter a runway or controlled airspace; follow the published communications-failure procedure.